Assembly took right steps on unemployment

1:38 PM,
Aug. 2, 2013

Written by

Everitt Russell, Asheville

Our legislature and governor have taken prudent steps to strengthen our unemployment insurance system. The unemployment insurance trust fund is 100 percent financed by employer taxes. There have never been costs to employees. Because of mismanagement by previous Democrat controlled legislatures and governors, the fund is paying $250,000 per day interest on a $2,500,000,000 debt to the feds.Why the mess? The maximum benefit was $535 ($326 for South Carolina and $275 for Tennessee). Eligibility rules were more generous than neighboring states and unfunded federal extensions added ...